NeilMH

PM sent. Neil

Neil

I am a great fan of hot hatches. Have had/driven some but not specifically the Civic Type R. From what I know/have read however I suspect that: - you will notice the ride quality of the Z. For road driving the greater tolerance is a real bonus when pushing on, given the state of the roads. - you can make decent progress lower down the rev range - the Z will seem to respond better to a more delicate (less take it by the scruff of the neck) driving style - there will be the obvious slow in/fast out versus foot on the floor and drag it round RWD vs FWD characteristics - you will find the speed of the Z very deceptive - having come from Caterhams/Elise - I find myself looking at the speedo with some surprise/amazement (I think in hot hatches you tend to get more of an impression of speed). I had a flying bread van (Alfa 145 GCL) and I always thought I was going more quickly than I was. - to me the Z feels like a very interesting, out of the ordinary, grand tourer - but then mine is completely standard - dare I say you may feel more of a sense of occasion in the Z Anyway - welcome to the forum. Neil

Hello Heather...and

I have recently managed to get 050As for £140 each front and £150 each rear - plus a small amount of p&p. However then you have to add in fitting, balancing, valves etc. That can range from £Not Much at All to £15 per corner depending on who you know! However, the same supplier has the Falkens for around £90-£100 each! Neil

I think you might have to be careful fitting different tyres on the back to the front with a car like the 350z. The issue would be that if there is a disparity in grip levels between the two tyre types then your are likely to induce either more oversteer or understeer characteristics depending on which tyres have the greater grip level - unless of course they perform identically. Someone who has 452s will undoubtedly be able to help more. Neil

I'm very sorry to read about this but it is so easily done. I had a potentially big moment last year driving along a straight road at about 40mph on a gentle throttle but I completely failed to see the black ice under overhanging trees. The previous driver was running back down towards us but was about 100m away. I thought what is that maniac doing? Then I realised. Spun round 360 twice over both lanes (no-one hit me - which was sheer luck). Went down a 30 degree grass bank. Crossed over a path and went down towards some trees - but stopped 2 feet short. I still remember the doom-laden feeling as we prepared to get out of the car. Somehow I got away with it - apart from picking up lots of grass and mud but it was very disconcerting and certainly flavours how you drive in slippery conditions for a while afterwards. Good luck with the insurance company - my son-in-laws company made him a silly offer but he went back with a massive pile of evidence and they gave in straight away. Neil

Travelling Band - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Thanks Jerry - I will do that sometime. By the way I hasten to add that I only owned one of the pictured cars at one time! In fact I've only ever owned half of any of them. A mate and I were both on a tight budget a few years ago but both had car aspirations. We decided that 1/2 the costs all round makes the whole idea more palatable (with the respective wives as well!). Its surprising how cheap (in relative terms!) it makes it to run on a limited mileage. Neil

Will - thanks. I think you are going to Goodwood on 5th December - so that would be a good opportunity. Not of course, that I am going to be drawn into any unnecessary expenditure..... N

I'm sure he means well. It could have been a lot worse - it could have been paint! Marker (even permanent) will probably come off with something like Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover. Maybe you need to get your Dad an alternative plaything? Neil

I can, will and must resist............................it would be the thin end of the wedge...........

Surrey and am a member of SELOC - been to a few Goodwood breakfasts etc - mainly that type of general thing rather than SELOC specific meets - for some reason I never got as engaged with Lotus stuff as I did with the Caterhams. I think I'll end up using the 350 a lot more - which was the general idea. Neil

OMG. When I bought my 350 just a few days ago I vowed not to be drawn into the whole world of modifications (as I was with previous cars)....until I saw your exhaust that is! It looks like a proper piece of work - and tasteful with it. Neil

And following that modest success - the 350Z! I now need to go and lie down with an oily rag. Loading those 4 pictures only took me 1 1/2 hours! Neil

If you exlude 1 X Westfield and 1 X Tarmac Rally Car (never used on a Tarmac or any other Rally!) - these pics show how I got to where I am today. Partly I'm also trying to test my competence in loading some pictures! Next I'll try and load a picture of the 350Z! Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Neil

Thanks for the messages. Now got the 050As (DZ) fitted this morning. Even on the 1/2 mile back I could notice a difference - seems less "bouncy" - if that makes any sense. Got tracking checked at same time - given the known issues. Neil

Hello Charlotte. Welcome to the forum. Your Mum clearly has great taste! My Dad's old Ford Anglia was not nearly as exciting. Neil

Regarding your question about the roof being ok when left outside (assuming its structurally ok) - there a quite a number of products available to revive, condition and protect the roof - if that proves to be necessary. I personally have used the Renovo Cleaner then the Reviver (which you can get in the appropriate colour). You can then either use their Protector or another like Autoglym. The only problem is you need a decent dry period to apply them and allow them to dry properly. I finished mine yesterday and it has made a lot of difference. Good luck. Neil

A vehicle enquiry check on the DVLA website, which is free, can be illuminating if there is discrepancy between manufacture date and registration with the DVLA. It will also show when it was last taxed. Obviously this is only a very basic check which can be supplemented by the many Hpi style checks available (which aren't free). Good luck. Neil

My hood was in good condition but a bit faded. I have just been treating it with Renovo. What a fiddly job the reviver bit is. However careful I was it still involved me leaping about like a frog on a pogo stick with a wet cloth and kitchen towel to remove dripping black goo from the paintwork/windows etc. Even when you can't see a single potential drip they seem to materialise as if through an alien force.

Wow - that is a hell of an upgrade. Having said that the Ka is a good car - I bought one for my niece - I really like the way they handle - you can row them along quite impressively. Welcome - I've only just joined myself. Neil

Saturday 6th November - about 9.30am. There could well have been a 370 - I wasn't a pucker 350/370 observer at that stage - I will now be paying a lot more attention as to the differences between the two so that I don't embarrass myself! I test drove on 6th and picked it up on 13th Neil

It was fate. On my way down to test drive the car, on the Surrey stretch of the A3, I was passed by three 350Zs in convoy (sort of), which is probably quite a rare event. Or maybe not...... Only thing that I have found that takes a little bit of getting used to is the gear change - it's quite unique - easy but very precise almost as if it has a metal gate. The way its sprung also seems slightly unusual around 4/5/6th - you have to be accurate with it. And - if I was being really picky the throttle response doesn't always seem perfectly linear. I presume these are normal quirks. Neil